Muffler



Feb. 23, 1943.

E; J. .DUNHAM' mum mu am 16, 19411 INVENTOR.

Ems: u.

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 MUFFLER Elmer J. Dunham, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Mich, a

corporation of Michigan Application June 16, 1941, Serial No. 398,176

4 Claims.

This invention relates to mufilers, and more particularly is directed to a water muffler construction for use in connection with the exhaust from internal combustion engines and the like.

In connection with the use of internal combustion engines on trucks and tractors operating in locations where there may be a considerable quantity of dust on flowers or suspended in the atmosphere, or where there may be cotton lint or the like distributed around, such as in Warehouses and other locations, it is desirable to preclude any possibility of fire caused by sparks being emitted from the muffler of the engine.

The present invention broadly contemplates the provision of a muffler for the exhaust of the engine which will contain water over which the hot exhaust gases must pass, whereby any sparks will be extinguished prior to the discharge of the exhaust gases to atmosphere.

While muillers of this general type have heretofore been employed, it has been found that such muillers are subject to criticism in that the water quickly evaporates therein and the operator may proceed with the operation of the vehicle without replenishment of supply, thus rendering the mufflers ineffective for the purpose for which it was provided. Also, the use of a muffler when the water has been evaporated produces a false sense of security and invites disaster in the way of fire and exposure.

The present design of muffler as disclosed herein has for its primary object to provide a construction in which the rate of evaporation of water is materially reduced, whereby the vehicle can be operated for from four to seven days without requiring replenishment of the water. In this connection, the present muffler is so designed that the hot exhaust gases passing thereinto pass through orifices of substantially equal area in moving into contact with the first volume of water. This eliminates any tendency to obstruct the flow of gases, eliminating also any back pressure in the exhaust manifold. The exhaust gases are led over a series of water compartments within the muffler, the velocity of the gases being such and the baflles being arranged in a manner so that the gases will contact the surface of the water in each compartment to eliminate any possibility of sparks being carried out through the outlet of the mufller.

In addition to this feature, I also provide a condensation or expansion chamber into which the gases are directed as they leave the last water compartment. In accordance with known '55 laws of physics, the expansion of the gases of this compartment reduces their temperature, and also provides for the dropping out of any foreign particles, which might be entrained therein due to the reduction in velocity produced by the expansion in volume. From this expansion chamber the gases, cooled and cleaned, are passed to atmosphere without any possibility of sparks being carried along therewith.

The mulller also has certain advantages in the arrangement of the baille construction and the water compartments facilitating the filling of the water compartments and also facilitating drainage thereof when it is desired to clean and recondition the muffler.

The provision of a tortuous passageway through the muffler with the elimination of the possibility of back pressure insures that the gases will have thorough and intimate contact with the water before entering the expansion chamber, therefore quenching any sparks and at the same time not unduly restricting the flow of gases.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred form of the present invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is an elevational view of a muiller embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the muffler shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the muffler shown in Figure '1.

Considering now the construction in more detail, the muffler in general consists of a main body portion 5 of rectangular form having at one end thereof the entrance port 6 which is welded or otherwise secured to the top surface of the main body 5, as indicated at I. A suitable connection is made from the exhaust manifold to the entrance port 6, this port having the passageway 8 therethrough leading into the interior of the muffler. Disposed in a vertical position adjacent the port 6 and extending downwardly into the mufller is a transverse plate member 9 having the side flanges IO secured to the side walls of the box. The area formed between the end wall H of the box and the transverse plate 9 is of a predetermined amount greater than the cross sectional area of the exhaust pipe whereby the gas velocity is reduced as it enters the muffier system.

A suitable mounting bracket 12 is mounted to the end wall II of the box for supporting the mufiler on the vehicle. The gases moving through the port 6 pass downwardly into the mufiier between the end wall H and the plate 9, and then move laterally beneath the lower end of the plate 9 into a chamber l3 formed between the opposite face of the plate 9 and a vertically extending baffie I4 supported on the bottom wall I5 of the mufller. indicated at I6 between the bottom wall [5 of the mufiier and the bottom of the plate 9 is substantially equal to the area between the plate 9 and the end wall I I, thereby providing no restric-- tion to the flow of gas and insuring that the velocity will be maintained substantially constant as the gas flows around the lower end of the plate 9 and up into the chamber l3. The cross sectional area of the. passageway between the plates 9, and IA- is substantially the same as'the areabetweenthe plate 9 and theend wall I i, so thatethe gases may pass freely upwardly through this space towardthe top of the mufller. As the gases reach the top of the muffler they encounter the inclined bafile l-l secured to the top wall [9 of themufller and passbetween' theface of this bailie and the upper inclinededge l9 of the plate IA. The crosssectional area between the upper edge ofthe:plate M, and the baille I1 is substantially equal to-the areaspreviously referred to, and-each of. these. areas isindicated' by the let ter X to show that they are'substantially equal. Passing through the last-named space, the gases enter into the first water compartment, indicated at'A, in whichthe water level is. maintained substantiallyto-the'line L. The water inthis chamber is confined between the plate [4- and a longitudinally spaced, plate 29- supported on the side walls-of. the mufiier. by means of flanges 22. The upper" end of the plate 29-isrbent rearwardly, as indicated at 23, to form a trap so that the gases must contact the surface of the water in the compartment A-pri-or to leaving this compartment between the bafile l1 and the flange 23-.

It willbe'noted that the plate 29-is spaced a slightdistance-above the bottom wall l5 of the muffler, as indicated at- 24, whereby the levelin all of the water compartments is maintained'substantially equal After passing throught-he water compartment A, the hot gases again move upwardly toward-thetop wall I 8- of the muffier, and. are directed downwardly by the battle 25 into the second water compartment l3. This compartment is of substantiallythe same volume as the compartment A, and is:definedbetween;thetransverse plates 29 and: 25, the plates being secured to the=sidewallsofthemuflier by the fiangesl'l. Tl'ieeplate 26 is also providediwith a normally directed top flange portion, 28 similar. to. the flange 23 to; insure intimate. contact of. the gases with the. surface of, the. water in the. compartment B.

From this, compartment, the gases are again directedupwardly toward the top l8 of the muffler, encountering the bafile 29 which is similar to thebafll'es ['1 and 25. From this-point the gases The area of the passageway are directed-downwardly into the water compartm-entzC, defined by the-flange 26 and the opposite-enolwall30 of the mufiler. The compartment C is'fed with water through the inlet opening or port 32', and-a suitable drain opening 33 is provideel adjacent the bottom of the muffler for draining out the water in. the compartments A, Band C in' order toclean the mufiler.

Over the top of the water in the compartment C there is provided a baffle 34 which has depending side flanges 35 secured to the side walls of the mufiler, thereby producing intimate contact of the gases with the water in the compartment C after which these gases move upwardly through the opening 35 in the top wall l8 and thence to the expansion chamber indicated generally at 31. Disposed over the top of the opening 36 and inclined in an upwardly direction is the bafile plate 38 secured as at 39 to the end wall 30 of the mufiler. This baffle protects discharge of the gases directly through the opening 36 into the exhaust outlet 49 at the top of the expansion chamber 31 insuring that the gases will expand withinv the chamber 31 to reduce the temperature thereof and also to insure that any particles entrained in the gases will be impacted against the under surfaces of the bafile 36 and dropped back intothe mullier. From the outlet 40 the gases are discharged. to atmosphere, any sparks or the like having been previously extinguished and the gases havingbeen reduced in temperature and velocity by passage through the mufller. A bracket 52. is provided at this end of the mufller for supporting the same.

It will benoted, that the opening between the flange 23 and the bafile 25 and between the flange 28 andbaffle 29 are larger than the openings X, insuring that there is no restriction of the gases as theypass from the initial compartment A to the compartments Band C. This provides for reducing the velocity of the gases and allowing some expansion thereof which also eflects cool,- ing, although the expansion is notas pronounced as-that which occurs in the, chamber 31.

I have found that with a muffler constructed in accordance with the present teachings, the rate of evaporation of the water in compartments A, B and C is materially reduced due to the control of the velocity andv pressureof the gases within the mufiler. At the same time, there is no tendency to createaback pressurevin the exhaust manifold. Further, such-a-construction insures intimate contact with at least three bodies of water, thereby assuring that, any sparks carried in the gases will be; completely extinguished prior to. discharge of the gases to atmosphere. It will also be noted that the ex.- pansionchamber 31 provides. for a reduction in both the, velocity and the temperature of the gas to be sure that when the gas is discharged to atmosphere it will be cool. In tests, it is. possible to hold. the hand at outlet 49, since the tempera.- tureof the gases has beensoreduced throughthe mufller.

Lamaware that various, changes may be made in certain details of the: present construction, andrI. thereforerdo not intend to belimited ex,- cept. asdefinedby the scope andrspirit of the, appended claims;

I claim:.

l. A water mufiler comprising a rectangular body portion of appreciable depth, an exhaust gas inletport extending throughthe top, of. said mufiler at one end thereof, baffle means for. causing gases entering through said port to flow to the bottom of said mufiier and then upwardly to the top thereof without materially changing the cross-sectional area of said path, a series of longitudinally spaced water compartments extend.- ing to the opposite end of said mufiler, deflector means for directing said gases as they reach the top of said mufiler successively into contact with the surface of the water in eachcompartment.

an expansion chamber disposed on the top of said mufiler at said opposite end thereof, means defining a port leading from said mufiler into said chamber, an exhaust port in the top of said chamber, and a baffle plate preventing direct flow of gases through said last-named ports.

2. In combination, in a water mufiier having a rectangular box-like body portion provided with an inlet port at one end and an exhaust port at the opposite end, a first transverse vertical bafile terminating short of the bottom of the muflier adjacent said inlet port for causing gases entering therethrough to pass downward at said one end and thence under said baffle without materially changing the cross-sectional area of said path, a second transverse vertical baflie terminating short of the top of said mufiler and spaced longitudinally of said first bafile a distance equal to the distance between said first baffle and the end wall of said mufller, an exhaust port in said mufller at the top of the opposite end thereof, a longitudinal series of water compartments between said second baille and said opposite end of said mufiler, and transversely arranged deflector members secured to the top wall of the muflier for directing said gases successively into contact with the surface of the water in said compartments.

3. The combination of claim 2 further characterized in the provision of an expansion chamber between the last water compartment and said exhaust port.

4. In combination, in a water mufiler having a rectangular box-like body portion, a first vertically extending transverse baffle spaced a predetermined distance from the end wall of said muflier and terminating at a point spaced the same distance from the bottom of the mufiler, a second vertically extending transverse baffle spaced the same distance from said first baflle and terminating short of the top wall of the muffler, an inlet port opening into the top of said muflier between said end wall and first baflle for introducing exhaust gases thereinto, a series of water compartments extending from said second bafiie to the opposite end wall of said mufller, deflector means secured to the underside 01' the top wall adjacent the anterior side of each compartment for directing said gases successively onto the surface of the water in each compartment, and an expansion chamber above the last compartment for reducing the pressure of said gases prior to discharge, said bafiles insuring at 7 least three changes of direction of gas flow prior to entrance into said first compartment without any change in the cross-sectional area of the gas path.

ELMER J. DUNHAM. 

